Introduction: I trust we have all been writing our tickets with God since our last meeting. We still have some days left in the year and of course years to come in order to benefit immensely from this experience. We will be considering a very essential and important topic in this series today (titled above). The dictionary definition of Doubt is;

1] To be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.

2] To distrust.

In each of the scriptural references read so far, it can be clearly seen that doubt caused people to receive something less than the best God has for them. In fact, doubt can prevent someone from not receiving anything! The Lord Jesus also rebuked every single person for their doubt and unbelief. We pray that our faith will be encouraged as we walk through this series so that we will not fall victims of Doubt - The Thief of God's Greater Blessings in Jesus name. Amen.

God’s Best: Receiving By Our Own Faith.

There are instances in scriptures where the Lord intervened by His divine sovereignty. When Peter cried out to Him to save him as he began to sink (Matt. 14:30). When His disciples cried out and awakened Him during the storm in the ship (Mark 4:38, 39). However, God’s greatest desire then (and indeed now) is for His disciples to receive by their own faith. An account of Peter walking on water in Matt. 14:25, 28 and 29 is a proof of this.

Don’t Look at the Circumstances.

As bible students, we know that the reason why Peter began to sink in the account of Mar 4 above was because he took his eyes off Jesus and instead focused on the circumstances (boisterous wind). He began to see things happening around him and quit looking at Jesus and what He said.

Faith is acting upon the Word of God. As soon as Peter stopped acting on what God had said, he started sinking. Now, that was doubt because Jesus said to him in Matt.14:31;

“…..o thou of LITTLE FAITH wherefore didst thou DOUBT?”

Peter’s faith only carried him for a little while. Though the miracle of walking on water began, but it was not consummated. The same way, many miracles have begun in people’s lives but have not been consummated because they took their eyes and focus off God, and concentrate them instead on circumstances or symptoms. Jesus refers to this as “little faith”. Doubt robbed Peter of the best that God had for Him. Let’s take our eyes off the situations or circumstances (symptoms) and focus on God (His Word) which is far superior!

Don’t Criticize Others until You’ve Walked on the Water Yourself.

Jesus didn't intend for Peter to sink just as He never, and will NEVER intend for us to sink also. Jesus meant for him to be able to walk back to the ship with Him. But don't criticize Peter (or your brother or sister) until you've successfully walked on water without sinking! Then your criticism will be accepted. Besides, when you criticize others, it hinders your own faith.* don’t use Peter's failure to believe as an excuse for you to be able to doubt God.

Doubt and Fear Rob People of God's Blessings

Doubt and fear go hand in hand while faith and love go hand in hand.

....perfect love casteth out fear..." [1 John 4:18].

Faith gets the job done!

Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. [Matt.13:58]

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.[Mark 6:5]

In Jesus' hometown, only a few people were healed under His ministry. The Amplified Bible mentioned the fact that there were "a few sickly people" healed. A bible dictionary says the Greek shows that there were a few folks with minor ailments who were healed. What happened in Nazareth was the fact that doubt (distrust) robbed the people there of God's best.

And He marveled because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in Him). And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching.[Mark 6:6 Amp].

The unbelief of an entire congregation can keep God from working. This is the reason why Jesus take people aside, from the multitude in order to pray for them (Mark 7:32, 33).

Not a Lack of Power - A Lack of Faith [Matthew 17:14-20; Matthew 10:1]

By comparing the two scriptures above, we can comfortably and unequivocally conclude that the disciples could not heal the boy not because they lacked power, but simply because they lacked faith. When they asked Jesus why they couldn't cast out the devil, Jesus didn't say it was because they didn't have the power to do it. He said it was because of their unbelief.

Kenneth Hagin further mentioned that for years, he's heard many Full Gospel people say they needed more power so they could cast out devils and do the works of Jesus. He said lack of power is not what the trouble is at all. People miss the point by saying such because if you have the Holy Ghost, then you have the power (Acts 1:8). People think that if they had more power, the Word would automatically work. Wrong! The Word works by faith!

What’s hindering people is lack of faith - not lack of power. Doubt is robbing many of the blessings of God. It doesn't matter what you receive from God's Word. God’s Word still only operates by faith. Salvation is the greatest gift you can receive from God. Being born again is the greatest blessing a person can receive. But you still have to receive salvation by faith. And after you are born again, you must have and operate in faith in order to enjoy the blessings and benefits of salvation. The benefits of your inheritance in Christ just don't fall upon you like ripe cherries off a tree.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. [2 Cor.5:7]

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is a mighty gift that God has for His children. But just because you are filled with the Holy Ghost doesn't necessarily mean you are a successful Christian. There are Spirit-Filled Christians with real Spirit-filled experience all around us, who are not successful. But the power they have received in the baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues is still utilised through faith. And if there is a lack of faith in appropriating the promises of God, then they are simply ignoring the powerhouse that is in them. You don't need any more power. You need to learn how to put the power you already have to work for you.

Conclusion

P.C. Nelson or "Dad" Nelson, founder of South-western Bible Institute, said that morepeople lose their healing over a counterattack than any other one reason. He wasactually saying that the devil is going to come back against you with symptoms to makeyou think you didn't get your healing in the first place.

But if you'll stand your ground in faith on the Word of God and say that you are healed,then the devil will flee from you. The Bible says that we should resist the devil and thenhe will flee from us (James 4:7). Whatever you receive from God, you receive by faithand you hold on to by faith.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Please Note: This teaching is an extract from Kenneth Hagin’s Book - FAITH BIBLE STUDY GUIDE